Buying or Selling Property in Provence? Maison Victoire Estate Agents Can Help

My destination in the Luberon was Maison Victoire Immobilier in Cabrieres d’Avignon. While Cabrieres d’Avignon is near the perched villages of Gordes, Ménerbes, Bonnieux, and Roussillon, this town is quietly alluring compared to its famous neighbours. Although tempted, my visit was not about buying a house in the Vaucluse. Instead, I was here to unearth the unique offerings of the real estate agency founded by Victoria Templeman in Provence’s crowded brokerage market.

Why Maison Victoire Estate Agents?

Originally from Scotland, Victoria Templeman established Maison Victoire Immobilier, a registered estate agency (agence immobilière), in 2007 after visiting L’Isle sur la Sorgue for the first time. Victoria Templeman merged her education in Estate Management from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors with the experience she gained managing the exclusive Le Chardon Mountain Lodges in the French Alps. Her vision was to create an agency where the client’s real estate dreams and requirements are paramount.

Maison Victoire’s office is in the village centre, which reflects the company’s approach. Previously a private home, the light-filled space had artwork adorning the walls, and it felt more like visiting a contemporary gallery than a real estate agency. The Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region covers France’s southeast from the Mediterranean to the southern Alps summits to the Italian border. As a result of the expansive geography, many brokerage companies have multiple offices scattered throughout the region, with brokers operating under a joint marketing umbrella. Maison Victoire is decidedly different, with one location in Cabrieres d’Avignon. The office location allows the team members to focus specifically on the Vaucluse department, concentrating on the Luberon, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, and Ventoux.

Whether you are buying or selling, Victoria Templeman and her team want to facilitate the process. Much more than a real estate agency, the Maison Victoire team aspires to community building. They hope homeowners will embrace Provence’s traditions and lifestyle in Southern France. While a real estate transaction is the end goal, the team at Maison Victoire is dedicated to growing artistic awareness through their Cultural Events and Arts Sponsorship programme. At Maison Victoire, they want to find a home where you can enjoy the Provencal culture, make friends, meet artists, and partake in the best of the region.

Buying Real Estate in France

With its Mediterranean climate and relaxed lifestyle, Provence is an attractive destination. It’s not unheard of for love-struck visitors to walk into a real estate office and express interest in buying a property. After a few site visits with a broker, a property may tick all the boxes for price, location, and surroundings. At that point, the transaction begins, and so do the layers of complexity. The Maison Victoire team helps clients navigate this challenging process.

Foreign buyers are often surprised to discover that there is no centralized multiple listing service (MLS) for real estate in France. Discovering those listings can be more accessible with a knowledgeable agent immersed in the local market. Equally startling is that house listings are often non-exclusive, so the information may appear at several agencies at different prices. In addition, France’s unique inheritance laws can complicate real estate dealings. Victoria Templeman and her team understand the market complexity and provide intelligent solutions.

Unlike other countries, in France, the real estate transactional process begins with a verbal offer, followed by the offer letter (compromis de vente). After that point, a notaire begins papering the deal, including the agreed-upon deposit. The notaire’s work includes a title search to ensure the seller owns the property and has the right to sell it. They also look for anomalies on the property, such as encroachments, land use changes, and local planning projects, which could impact the value. If there are no hiccups, the final stage is the Acte de Vente, along with final payment, inspection, and fees. Even native French speakers agree that the real estate process is complicated.

The Maison Victoire Difference

When Victoria Templeman established her estate agency, she set out to make a difference in the marketplace. She had heard too many stories of transactions that had gone sideways and clients who felt abandoned and confused by the process. At Maison Victoire, the team is responsive, organized, and focused on providing personalized service to clients from around the globe.

Maison Victoire’s fully bilingual team guides clients through the entire property purchase, from initial viewings to the key handover. Realizing that the real estate process and timelines can be confusing, Maison Victoire has created a reference guide for its customers. In addition, as the Maison Victoire team focuses exclusively on properties in the Vaucluse, they have a roster of recommended experts for notaire services and tax advisory for foreign owners. The agents are also happy to provide specifics for setting up bank and utility accounts.

Understanding that time is precious and international travel is expensive. Clients are encouraged to share their wish list for a regional property well before the initial in-person meeting. With the client’s requirements, the team reviews the marketplace, including Maison Victoire sales listings, before presenting a short list of potential options. Maison Victoire has invested in leading-edge technology for photography, drone video, virtual tours and room staging so that properties listed on their site represent reality. Maison Victoire agents book showings, provide exact floor plans, translate as required, and help navigate the process up to a successful property handover.

“We believe that the quality of the property here in Provence… part of the immeasurable and varied trove of riches bestowed on us in this beautiful part of the world…should be conveyed from one guardian to the next with the respect that it deserves.” ~ Victoria Templeman

Contact Information

Maison Victoire Estate Agents (website)
Place de l’Ancienne Mairie
84220 Cabrières d’Avignon
Telephone +33 (0) 4 90 05 01 54

Follow Maison Victoire on social media:

Instagram @maison.victoire
Facebook: Maison Victoire
YouTube: @MaisonVictoireImmobilier

Image Credits: Maison Victoire provided all the photos in this article.